Music Beneficial in Weaning From Mechanical Ventilation

(HealthDay News) — Listening to music has beneficial effects for patients being weaned from prolonged mechanical ventilation, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Thoracic Society, held from May 15–20 in Denver.

Zhan Liang, from the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues recruited 28 patients from a long-term acute care hospital and randomized them into two music intervention orders for six days during their weaning trials. Both orders listened to 60 minutes of music every other day, with no music on "off" days. Music started on days one and two in orders 1 and 2, respectively.

The researchers observed significant decreases in heart rate, respiratory rate, anxiety, and dyspnea on music days, but not in blood oxygen saturation level or mean blood pressure. On non-music days there were no significant changes in these variables. Significant decreases were seen in respiratory rate, anxiety, dyspnea, and total weaning time, but not heart rate, blood oxygen saturation level, or mean blood pressure, when comparisons were made between the mean values for the three music and three non-music days.

"Having patients listen to music during these trials may help reduce stress and speed up extubation," Liang said in a statement.